KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — An East Texas-based online business that sells indoor and outdoor HDTV antennas displayed a pattern of complaints from customers who say they have been frustrated in their efforts to get the items they ordered and refunds for defective or missing merchandise. That’s according to a news release from the Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas. BBB advises caution when dealing with AntennaDeals.com, which lists an address in Flint. Continue reading BBB warns of problems with local business

TYLER – Following significant delays due to winter weather and rain, work is scheduled to resume on the FM 2493/Old Jacksonville Highway project from Gresham to Flint. The anticipated completion date is fall 2021, according to a TxDOT news release. The project, with limits from FM 2813 in Gresham, south to FM 346 in Flint, will widen the existing two-lane roadway to five lanes with curb and gutter and bike lanes. “The contractor is tentatively scheduled to mobilize to complete the remainder of the surface on the project the week of June 28,” said Kathi White, TxDOT Public Information Officer, in the news release. “Weather permitting, that work should be completed in about a week, followed with placing the striping in the final configuration.” The traffic signal at FM 346 is anticipated to be activated by the end of July or early August. Continue reading Work to resume on FM 2493

TYLER — Smith County will be adding a new district court on January 1, 2023, now that House Bill 3774 has become law. The bill was signed by Governor Greg Abbott and created the 475th District Court, which will be the county’s fifth such court. The last time a district court was added in Smith County was 1977, when the county’s population was about 100,000. Currently, the population is about 230,000. County officials anticipate that adding the new court will reduce the jail population of those charged with felonies but awaiting trial. There are currently more than 600 Smith County Jail inmates awaiting felony trials. Only district courts have jurisdiction to dispose of felony cases. Click here to learn more.

SMITH COUNTY — Jury selection for the high-profile trial of a former CHRISTUS nurse accused of murdering four patients and severely injuring others will begin the last week of July, the judge announced Monday morning. Jury selection will begin Monday, July 26, in Tyler and run through that Wednesday. According to our news partner KETK, William Davis, 37, has been charged with capital murder and aggravated assault of four patients. Davis allegedly injected air into patients’ arteries on purpose. Davis was a registered nurse at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. He was fired before his arrest 3 years ago. The Smith County District Attorney is seeking the death penalty.

GREGG COUNTY — Drivers in Longview got a not-so lighter than air surprise Friday. Two hot-air balloons had to make emergency landings on a Longview freeway. The pilots said the wind died, meaning they had to land and it so happened to be on the road. Otherwise, they would have had to contend with trees and power lines. No injuries were reported. Harold “Bubba” Cliver was named Great Texas Balloon Race Champion following the 3 day event. Cliver took first place while competing alongside his son and nearly 60 other pilots, according to the Longview News Journal. Cliver said he’s been participating in the Great Texas Balloon Race for about 25 years.

PALESTINE – The city of Palestine will be spraying for mosquitoes beginning Monday June 21st through Saturday June 26th. According to our news partner KETK, the city will be spraying two areas, Area 1 and Area 5. Area 1 consists of West Spring Street at Carolina Street, east to Brushy Creek Road and West Kolstad Street. Area 1 also consists of North Jackson and North Link Streets. Area 5 encompasses Highway 155 North to Gardner Street and East to North Loop 256. Area 5 is bounded to the south by East Park Street.

LONGVIEW — The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued an Ozone Action Day for the Tyler-Longview area for Saturday, June 19. Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone air pollution in the Tyler-Longview area on Saturday. There are several things you can do to help limit ozone formation. Among them: drive less, don’t idle your engine for extended periods, and postpone filling your tank until late afternoon. Click here for more information.

TYLER — A Whitehouse man who has been awaiting his murder trial for nearly four years will have to wait an additional three months to have his day in court. According to our news partner KETK, Martin Reynolds, 24, was arrested in 2017 for the killing of Andrew Carpenter, 19. Reynolds has claimed self-defense. The case has faced several delays over the past 3.5 years due to pre-trial hearings, forensic evidence, the pandemic — and, most recently, the unavailability of a witness. The trial is now set for September 13.

TYLER — Two local attorneys have announced they’re running for Smith County Court at Law #3 judge in next year’s Republican Primary. In a news release, Clay White says he’s a board-certified personal injury attorney with 30 years of experience. On her campaign page, Cheryl Wulf says she’s been a licensed attorney in Texas since 2003, handling cases in civil, family, and criminal law. Judge Floyd Getz will be retiring from the post following his current term.

TYLER — Smith County Road 384, also known as Old Longview Road, will be partially closed for about two weeks so a bridge can be repaired. CR 384, northeast of Tyler, is closed from Farm-to-Market Road 2908 to Interstate 20. Signs placed there alert drivers to take alternative routes, according to a county news release.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau serving Central East Texas, in partnership with Kelly Community Federal Credit Union and Ark-La-Tex Shredding, hosted their annual “Secure Your ID” day Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until noon at the BBB Offices on New Copeland Road. The event was re-scheduled to coincide with and extension for income taxes for Texas residents. The services were provided free, and attendees are encouraged to bring paper documents that contain personal and/or financial information to be destroyed — as well as electronics such as old computers, hard drives, and cell phones.

TYLER — Preparations for the Tyler Rose Complex began Thursday, according to a city news release. The first part of the project will be to install a dedicated parking lot area for Tyler Civic Theater and the Rose Garden Center. WRL General Contractors has begun milling Rose Park Drive to complete this phase. Portions of Rose Park Drive and the majority of Harvey Convention Center’s parking lot will be closed periodically. West Houston Street will remain open for the duration of the project. The Rose Garden and Tyler Civic Theater will remain open to the public. The Rose Garden gate on Rose Park Drive will be closed, but patrons will still be able to access the garden through the Rose Garden Center and the gate on West Houston Street by the Idea Garden. Continue reading Preparations begin for Tyler Rose Complex

ATHENS — A murder investigation is underway in Henderson County. According to Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Joshua Jones, 37, of Seven Points, has been arrested in connection to the fatal Thursday night shooting of Jason Blake, 44. Deputies responded to a disturbance call at a home on West Oak Ridge Road around 8:15 and found Blake reportedly shot in the back near the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Both Jones and Blake lived at the residence where the shooting took place. Continue reading Murder suspect arrested after shooting Thursday night

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank is holding another mega drive-thru produce distribution Friday in Tyler from 10 a.m. to noon at Lindsey Park. As with past distributions, the events are open to anyone and there are no eligibility or paperwork requirements. These are drive-thru distributions and walk-ups will not be accepted, according to a news release. Multiple households can carpool. To pick up items for another household not present, a note must be provided. An average of 1,200 families are served at each distribution. Even as the pandemic is fading, food bank staffers say they are still seeing an increased need for food assistance. The next Tyler distribution dates are June 26 at Green Acres Baptist Church and July 2 at Lindsey Park, both from 10 a.m. to noon.

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities announces its 2020 drinking water quality report is available for all residential and commercial customers to review. The report confirms TWU continually delivers residents and businesses high-quality drinking water that meets and exceeds state and federal standards, according to a news release. Among other things, the report shows there was no lead and only very low traces of copper detected in the drinking water provided to TWU customers. The water quality report is available here.

LONGVIEW – The CHRISTUS Good Shepherd COVID-19 vaccine hub is expanding access and now offering vaccine appointments at multiple CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic locations across the region. The vaccine will remain free of charge, and the scheduling process will remain the same – simply visit this link to make an appointment. Effective Thursday, June 17, the hub will transition away from the Longview Exhibit Center, and appointments are now available Monday through Friday at designated CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic primary care locations in Longview, Marshall, and Kilgore. Walk-in appointments are also available at CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Urgent Care in Longview on West Loop 281. All patients will receive the Pfizer vaccine, which is available to everyone 12 and older, according to a news release.

LONGVIEW — A man is arrested after leading officers on a high speed chase from Longview all the way to Louisiana. According to our news partner KETK, Jerimiah Brown was driving east on Interstate 20 in a stolen car. That’s when Longview officers got a tip the vehicle didn’t belong to Brown. Authorities say he started to speed away but after calling for backup, officers deployed a spike strip to slow him down. Brown is currently being held at the Caddo Parish Jail.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man is charged with murder. According to our news partner KETK, Dontrey Walker is accused of killing his girlfriend and then confessing to the crime during a police standoff in Huntsville. Officers say they found his alleged victim, Paige Martin, dead inside a house on Tuesday during a welfare check. Martin appeared to have injuries to her neck. Walker is now in jail.

TYLER — Tyler state Representative Matt Schaefer is upbeat after his permitless carry bill was signed by Governor Abbott. Schaefer told KTBB, “I believe that the right to defend yourself and your family is given to us by God — and the Second Amendment stands to ensure that right can be exercised. And any infringements contrary to that right must be removed.” He added, “The governor has signed an historic restoration of Second Amendment rights.” Asked about possible legal challenges, Schaefer responded, “I do not think any legal challenges to this bill will be successful. This bill is airtight.” The bill is due to take effect September 1.

TYLER — Tyler ISD has responded with a brief statement after its partnership with locally-based Mentoring Alliance was challenged. The Freedom from Religion Foundation said Wednesday that TISD must immediately revoke a large subsidy for the Mentoring Alliance’s sectarian religious summer camp. In a news release, the foundation says TISD has approved $500,000 in partnership with the Christ-centered ministry to send students to camp each summer. The news release says FFRF was contacted by a concerned district community member about the summer camp program. TISD responded by saying, “The district values its partnership with the Mentoring Alliance and its support of the district’s mission of successful student outcomes.”

TYLER — A Tyler man has been indicted in the case of seven people beating a friend unconscious and leaving him in a ditch for allegedly being a “snitch.” According to our news partner KETK, Daymond Gray, 18, is the first to be indicted in the case. Jesus Tinoco, 17, was also charged, but has yet to be indicted. KETK News is withholding the name of the victim for privacy reasons. A warrant obtained by KETK in April said that Victor Villegas was at the victim’s house because he was dating his sister. The couple began arguing so the victim called the police. Continue reading Tyler man indicted for beating friend unconscious

TYLER — The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department is preparing to host the annual July Fourth Celebration at Lindsey Park on Sunday, July 4. Gates will open at 2 p.m. for families to come out to enjoy a variety of vendors and food trucks. The firework show will begin after dark, at around 9 p.m., according to a news release. Vendors and food trucks can still register to be a part of the event until June 28. City officials say an update with more details will be sent next week. For more information, click here or call (903) 531-1370.

TYLER — The Tyler Main Street Department and Parks and Recreation Department have installed three bicycle fix-it stations downtown. Officials say they were purchased thanks to grant funds from the Texas Physical Activity and Nutrition Program from the Northeast Texas Public Health District (NET Health). The stations can be found on the northwest corner of the downtown square, inside the Fair Plaza parking garage by the exit, and by the downtown Tyler Transit Depot. Each station includes all tools necessary to perform basic bike repairs and maintenance, such as inflating a flat tire and adjusting brakes, according to a news release.

KILGORE — Authorities say they have re-captured a man who escaped from them Monday night. Kilgore police got a tip from a concerned citizen on where James Butler III was after the citizen saw his picture circulating around East Texas. According to our news partner KETK, officers say they picked Butler up near Green Hills Drive Monday night on suspicion of three burglaries but he slipped out of his cuffs and got away. After searching throughout the area Tuesday, officers say they found one of Butler’s shoes along with the help of a K-9 unit and were then able to locate Butler.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Officials say a man found dead alongside I-20 in Van Zandt County has been identified as 39-year-old Joshua Hammond of Canton. Department of Public Safety Troopers responded to a report of a body found Monday afternoon. According to a DPS report, road crews cleaning debris from the grass on the south side of IH-20, approximately 2.6 miles west of Canton, found the body just after 4:00. DPS says the investigation is ongoing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Louie Gohmert speaks to KTBB after suing administrators of the House of Representatives. He says using metal detectors to screen members of Congress is unconstitutional and security is being used unfairly against Republicans. He says Democrats have been allowed to enter the floor without being screened, although at least one has been fined. Along with that, Gohmert says he goes through the detectors every day, “but we don’t need one at the House floor — especially after the chief of Capitol Police said there is no intelligence from any source whatsoever that any member of Congress is a threat to another member.” Continue reading Gohmert discusses suit involving metal detectors

SMITH COUNTY — Commissioners for Smith County held their first public hearing where they discussed how to possibly spend the $45 million the area would be receiving under the American Rescue Plan Act. According to our news partner KETK, the law was passed under the Biden administration and allocates $22.5 million to the county this year along with another $22.5 million in 2022. The act was passed to help communities across the nation deal with lost revenue and higher than normal expenses during the pandemic. Continue reading Commissioners hold first public hearing on spending $45 million from American Rescue Plan Act

TYLER — The East Texas Symphony Orchestra announces Robin Hampton as its new executive director. According to a news release, “Robin brings with her more than 25 years of leadership experience in nonprofit arts management, performing arts and cultural institutions, with a particular passion for music education and community engagement.” ETSO’s five-concert season at the UT Tyler Cowan Center will begin November 13.

TYLER — West 4th Street between Broadway and Chilton in Tyler reopened Tuesday afternoon after being temporarily shut down for tree work. But city officials now say due to an equipment issue, the Street Department will need to close the street again Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon to finish removing dead trees and trimming low-hanging limbs. The 4th and College intersection will remain open for northbound and southbound traffic. Drivers should obey all detour and road closure signs and use caution in the area.